Last week I finally got my thesis results, which included some phenomenal feedback from highly regarded academics. And today I submitted my final thesis, with corrections, to the UCT library, which means that it’s officially a wrap for my MCom in Economic Development. I will be graduating in December 🙂
I wouldn’t have made it to this point if it wasn’t for the incredible people around me who were there to get me over the line. As a thank you to everyone involved, I included an acknowledgements page on the first page of my dissertation.
Thank you once again to everyone for being part of this journey. The full acknowledgement section of my thesis is included below
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the legion of people that encouraged me and cheered me on in the process of writing this dissertation. I experienced multiple setbacks over the period when this was written, including suffering from depression and anxiety, family problems, being the victim of a robbery and various issues in completing the thesis. I made it through thanks to the unrelenting support of my incredible family and friends.
The irony of writing a dissertation on depression while suffering from it is not lost on me. However, having people around me that openly talked about mental health problems made seeking help much easier. In January last year, I started on anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication, which has changed my life. Thank you to my therapist and my psychiatrist for all the work they have done with me, I am eternally grateful. I encourage anyone suffering from mental health issues to speak up and not be afraid to seek help. You don’t have to fight the battle alone.
Thank you to the many friends that helped me through the tough patches and celebrated with me during the successes. A special thank you to the following, who were always there when I needed them: Jared, Holly, Janine, Steve, Hana, Samantha, Jess, Edward, Marcelle, Charlotte, Kuhle, Kay, Michael, Jonathan, Nick, Abigail, Thabo, Ahmed, Renee, Bridget, Grace, Suzie, Shelly, Dale, Alison, Tiisetso, Alexei, Anna, Tiang, Louis, Rhiannon, Cait, Steph, Ndumi, Katie and Tumi.
Thank you to my supervisor, Malcolm, for all the support with the dissertation and for being so patient with me throughout the process, especially when I was going through a difficult time last year. Your input has been invaluable and I have learnt so much from you.
Thank you to my wonderful family for all they have done for me. My dad, Lihor, for all the support he has provided me throughout my life, particularly in my academic endeavours. My brothers, Lorenzo and Fabio, for being such wonderful siblings. Thank you to my uncle Massimo, for being supportive of my dreams and thank you to Sue, Jacqui, Jules and Matt for inspiring me. Thank you to the Weston family, who have been there whenever I’ve needed them.
Finally, and most importantly, thank you to my incredible mother Debbie for everything she has done for me. You are always there when I need someone to chat to, always ready to help and you have sacrificed so much for me. You’ve experienced every part of the journey with me, from panicking at the registration line with my degree choice, to the teary phone call after the tests in 2015 and, now, to celebrating completing my masters and finding my way in life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I love you and truly would not have made it without you.
My journey as a student at UCT has come to the end after eight years, three degrees, thousands of hours studying and many late nights. Thank you to UCT for all the phenomenal memories and for shaping me into who I am today. It’s time to close this chapter of my life. As the last line of my old school song says:
“Here our ship once anchor’d and here its course was set.”
Image was taken at the Bascule bar where I had a sneaky whiskey to celebrate the end of this journey.
Blog: 355/365. Click here to read about my #365of25 journey
Song of the day: Phoebe Ryan – Mine (Illenium Remix)